Canola oil becomes a bad name

In response to a recent article in which I suggested canola oil as a good choice for popcorn "because its saturated fat content is low and its smoke point high enough not to burn at higher temperatures, "wrote a reader from Capitola:" The circle of people I would rub shoulders with avocado oil, coconut oil or ghee, because these three oils also have a high point of release Canola oil, rightly or not, got a bad shot.

Indeed, avocado, coconut and ghee (clarified butter often used in Asian cooking) can all withstand high cooking temperatures to pop corn. This is due to their higher smoke point, which indicates the temperature at which an oil starts to burn. Canola oil also has a smoke point high enough to treat typical popping.

Besides the smoke point, I also indicated in the previous column that canola oil is low in saturated fats. (This is also a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.) Other cooking oils with high smoke points and low in saturated fat include peanut oils, sesame, avocado and soy.

Experts from the University of California at Berkeley tell us that the bad reputation of canola oil is not deserved. They explain that it is an oil that comes from a specific type of flowering plant of the cabbage family called "rapeseed". Since this name is not very palatable and this plant is grown in Canada, it has been named canola.

Part of the confusion surrounding canola oil is linked to several hundred deaths in 1981 related to rapeseed oil. It turned out that this tragedy was actually due to the presence of an illegal contaminant in an oil mislabeled olive oil.

Another concern is a substance found in traditional rapeseed, erucic acid, which has been linked to health problems in animals. According to the Canola Council of Canada, "Canola is not rapeseed, it has the same appearance, but it is very different inside, where it counts." In the late 1960s, plant scientists used Traditional methods of plant breeding to eliminate rapeseed – undesirable qualities – erucic acid and glucosinolates.This means that oil and canola flour are different from oil and rapeseed flour. "

It is always good to know that we have a variety of healthy alternatives when we choose foods containing fat. Here are some good choices:

• Nuts instead of a chocolate bar.
• Tuna sandwich instead of ham and cheese.
• Pizza with vegetables and olives instead of pepperoni.
• Oatmeal with linseed, walnuts, pecans or peanut butter instead of sausage and biscuits.

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